Window Cleaning Business is see a boom! WHY?

I wish I could say it is because people have read my guides and received the right type of training to have a successful business.  No, that is not it at all.  What is going on is a common occurrence when ever there is a bad economy.  People grab a squeegee and just start knocking on doors looking for any type of work.  It is out of need of work, need of a job and not wanting to have a real business.  What ends up happening is they under bit the work…  The thing hey when I was working I was making 10 to 15.00 an hour can they clean at that price.  They become overjoyed if they hit $20.00 per hour.

That is how I got into the business some 20 years ago, to took many years before I learned how to price the work right.  I know how hard it is to need money and when you need work and money and you have a customer will to give you some…  It’s hard to lose that job because you don’t meet his price.

What i have done sometime so that I just don’t give the job away for next to nothing or lose it, I tell them regular price… What they sheeeeeek at itI say, but “this is what I can do… If I do it this time at $XXX amount then I want you to guarantee that you will use my service ( week/bi-weekly/monthly etc..)…”.  Lock them in as a regualar customer.  That takes the sting on the loss of money and you tell them to reffer people to you.

I know it is hard to believe but  business will bounce back.  Some adjustments might need to be made but things will get better.  That being said, with so many out of work there is always a huge influx of people will to”clean windows”.  The problem is they have no clue on how to do it right.  This does in the short term effect parts of the industry.  MOSTLY ROUTE WORK AND CLEANING HOMES, why? Well, there is really not much oversight in that service.  Yes, anyone can call them self’s a window cleaning if they have a squeegee.  They come in and hit all the small businesses tell them they can clean the windows for half of your price.  Most loyal customs just tell them to move on but there are going to be a number of them that will use the service.

What can you do to keep your customes?

I remember reading this a while back, it has a lot of great tip to answer that question.

25 Ways to Keep Your Customers for Life
By Arnold Sanow   Printer Friendly Version

In today’s fast-changing and competitive environment, excellent customer service is essential for success. This article provides 25 tips to retain customers through enhanced customer service. “The strategies for keeping customers for life can be honed down to some basic steps that any business owner can use. Time magazine said the No. 1 marketing strategy for businesses and organizations now and in the future will be directly related to the quality of that organization’s customer service,” says customer service expert Arnold Sanow. Following are 25 tips Arnold recommends to keep your customers loyal.

25 Ways to Keep Customers for Life

1. Reward your customers. Send them a gift, provide them a lead, generate business for them, etc.
2. Use your customers’ services and buy their products. If you want to increase loyalty, there is no better way.
3. Send thank-you cards. Make sure they are handwritten and sent promptly. Peter Drucker attributed much of his success to the fact that he sent out 12 thank-you cards every day.
4. Return phone calls promptly. Since so many people don’t return calls, you automatically look good when you do.
5. Do what you say you are going to do.
6. Do things when you say you’re going to do them.
7. Underpromise and overdeliver.
8. Be accessible. Make sure you are available and willing to help customers whenever there is a problem. Your business should be open to meet the convenience of your customers and not only for your convenience.
9. Be credible. If you can’t establish that trust right away, customers may start to look at your competitors.
10. Appearance counts. Perception is reality, and the reality is that people do judge a book by its cover.
11. Show empathy. Remember the best customers are your currents ones. Stay in touch and continue to service their wants and needs.
12. Have a “Goof Kit.” If you make a mistake, it’s not enough to say, “I’m sorry.”
13. Promote customers’ products and services. By getting business for your clients, you ensure you will have a customer for life.
14. Do things for the customer’s convenience not yours. Make it as easy as possible for your customers to do business with you. The easier you can make it for your customer to do business with you, the more business you will have. Determine all the ways you can eliminate the hassle factor.
15. Send an invoice periodically with a “no charge” on it. This will help your customers remember you. And if it is unexpected, it will have a much larger impact.
16. Have a customer advisory panel. Only by knowing your customers’ wants and needs can you successfully grow your business and be totally customer-oriented.
17. Hire mystery shoppers. To really find out how good your customer service is, hire someone to go out and use your service from start to finish.
18. Be a resource. No matter what your customer needs, try to find it for them — even if it has nothing to do with your business.
19. Shower customers with kindness.
20. Speak your customers’ language. If you use jargon your customers can’t understand, they won’t use you.
21. Have a great attitude.
22. Treat your employees well. If they are treated poorly, there is a good chance your customers will also get poor service.
23. Give your customer what they want, when they want it and how they want it.
24. Give back to your best customers. If you run a special price or product offer for first-time customers, ensure your current customers are offered the same opportunity.
25. Don’t show an attitude of indifference to your customers. In a recent study on why people give up on a company, 68 percent quit because of an attitude of indifference toward the customers by the owner, manager or employees - 68 percent!

Conclusion

“Customer service is more than just smile training — it’s about treating people the way they wanted to be treated,” concludes Arnold. “It’s also about giving the client what they want, when they want it and how they want it. It really comes down to the fact that good communication and human relations skills equals good customer relations.”

Why window washing? Excellent question says Steve Wright, I asked myself the same thing a few years ago.

Take a look at the many advantages of owning your own residential window washing business:

• Very Low start-up costs.
• Pennies-a-day operating costs.
• Earn up to $500 a day on your own - more with a crew.
• Look around - glass is everywhere.
• Tremendous repeat business - Glass is always getting dirty.
• Complete freedom to choose your own schedule, hours, and income level you desire.  Work a full week for maximum income or 3 days a week so you can spend the rest of the time with your family - it’s always your choice.
• Work Part-time or Full-time - If you have a full time job, work around your schedule.  You can simply schedule a small job after work or Saturday morning to pick up easy extra cash money.
• Work from home.  No outside office needed.
• No diploma, degree or costly training required.
• No age, gender or background requirements.
• Great business for any man or woman in good general health.
• Use your current automobile - no truck or van needed.
• Work in and around beautiful homes.
• Work outdoors and indoors.
• Meet interesting people.
• Enjoy the satisfaction your customers express after each job.
• Get paid immediately at the end of every job.

Steve goes on  to say “after seeing the many benefits of owning your own window washing business, you might be starting to “see the light”,

Most think they cab just go and get a bucket, a squeegee, a ladder and do the business on my own.  Steve says “Absolutely.  You can certainly start that way, but why stumble your way into this business when you don’t have to?

If you want to skip the learning curve and get it right the first time, then take a close, hard look at my system described below. It’s been designed to take you by the hand and walk you through each step, so you can grow your profits the fastest way possible. I’ve already done the work and spent the time and money perfecting the many techniques you need to be successful, so you don’t have to!”

So as it’s true starting a business can be done alone but I must agree it better to have some understanding on what it is your doing.